


and so it goes

by jaehyoons97



Series: Walk you home [2]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Confessions, Fluff, Homecoming Dance, M/M, Mark still has curfews, this is so cringe please bear with me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-28 02:43:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16232570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaehyoons97/pseuds/jaehyoons97
Summary: Sure, Youngho asked him to be his date, but he didn’t propose until the last minute- hence the the last minute choice of outfit and unstyled hair. They most definitely came to homecoming dance as each other’s friend-date. Friend-dates don’t slow dance. Right?





	and so it goes

**Author's Note:**

> i've had this idea since I found [this](https://twitter.com/NCT_THAILAND/status/713338896000557057).

It’s cold; as expected from an October night.

Mark’s been keeping his hands in his pockets, claiming to feel cold when in fact he’s only avoiding the possible brushing of hands as Youngho walks by his side, distance too near to be considered usual. Not that he’s complaining. Mark just doesn’t want to feel more nervous than he already has been all through the night. And he doesn’t want his crush to be that obvious if they ever to brush hands and Mark’s face goes red like that last time he hung out with Youngho and basically had the older’s face a few inches from his, gradually closing in as they attempted to win the pocky challenge dared by their dumbass friends. Mark had vodka with him, thankfully, and acting drunk wasn’t as hard as he’d thought so he went on with it when the rest of their friends made fun of him being a lightweight.

But he doesn’t have alcohol in his hands right now, and hasn’t been consuming a single drop of it. He still trips over his dress shoes sometimes, but that’s because he’s wearing a pair one and a half size bigger, courtesy of his older brother, as the only decent shoes he owns are his Vans Old Skool and he doubts they pass even a semi-formal standard like homecoming dance.

Speaking of which-

“Are you _really_ sure it’s okay to ditch homecoming like this?” Mark asks, for the nth time. The question’s been at the ready for awkward silences like this. “I mean, of course you can, but considering you’re in charge of documenting and all. You know. What if Taeyong comes at you for yearbook?”

Mark glances at Youngho. He’s not sure if he should look Youngho in the eyes, not after the first time he saw the older earlier that night and found himself wanting to suffocate because a crisp suit and swept up hair is definitely Youngho’s most deadly combination.

“Again,” Youngho says, and Mark zips his mouth shut as he’s reminded of how many times he’s asked the same question, “I have the other committees to cover me just fine. You got curfew anyways, and I promised your mom.”

Mark dips his neck between his shoulders at the word curfew. So uncool. “Right.”

And it’s right then when Mark notices how Youngho’s strides been heavy, if not reluctant, and he could hear Jaehyun’s blaring laugh in his head as he says _Can you get any more oblivious?_

“I’m sorry,” Mark hears Youngho say when they reach the block of Mark’s home. Just a few houses away until they arrive.

He looks up to Youngho, clearly not expecting the apology. _He_ should be the one apologizing, if anything. For blowing the night so early. “What for?”

“You’ve dressed up so nice-” Youngho gestures to him- he’s wearing a blue sweater over a matching-colored plaid shirt and a tie on top of a beige pair of chinos; not a suit, but supposedly proper for such an event. He felt rather underdressed, but it’s not like he can ever top Youngho’s get-up anyway, “-only to flaunt it for a couple hours.”

“Oh, it’s chill,” Mark says, contrary to his internal panic: did Youngho just complimented his looks? “I mean, we didn’t even get to slow dance, but-”

Hoooooooly shit did he really just say that? Did he really just insinuate that he wanted to slow dance with Youngho? Well, sure, Youngho asked him to be his date, but he didn’t propose until the last minute- hence the the last minute choice of outfit and unstyled hair. They most definitely came to homecoming dance as each other’s friend-date. Friend-dates don’t slow dance. Right?

“I mean. We can do that now?” Youngho says, adding to Mark’s panic.

“What? Now? Right here?” Mark says, instead of downright rejecting the offer. He starts giggling obnoxiously like he always does whenever he feels extremely nervous.

Youngho’s fishing out his phone from his pocket and starts scrolling down his song list. He walks around Mark and continues walking backwards just a few steps ahead so he can look at Mark’s face properly. He’s grinning. “Yeah. Besides, I believe it’s mandatory. What do you say?”

Mark’s heart refuses to calm down; it thunders in his chest, its beat abruptly increasing, and he begins to feel lightheaded. He puts his hand over his mouth because his giggles won’t stop.

“Mark Lee,” Youngho stops in his tracks, and Mark would’ve bumped into him if he didn’t hold up a hand right before Mark’s face. Slow music is blaring from his pocket in a soft volume, enough to fill in the air between the both of them. “May I have the honor of this dance?”

Youngho’s romantic attempts are usually subject to cringes and often executed for jokes. That’s probably why Youngho is laughing, too. And like this, Mark thinks, they fall back into their normal dynamics. So he takes Youngho’s hand after he manages to stop cackling, just in time for the song to break into the second verse.

“Man, how are you going to make friends in uni with your lame jokes,” Mark says. Youngho welcomes him as he steps into his space and only places his hand on Mark’s waist once Mark secures his own hand on his shoulder.

“You’re saying that as if you don’t like my _lame jokes_.” Youngho starts swaying to the music and although Mark has zero knowledge about traditional dance, he follows Youngho’s steps and trusts the older to lead.

“I guess they’re all right.” Mark shrugs.

“Are you kidding? They’re the best.”

Mark scoffs out a laugh, not knowing how to respond. “I’m not sure about that but I’m going to miss them once you graduate.”

“Just my jokes? Not me?”

Mark gapes, the thought of Youngho’s upcoming absence suddenly robbing him from the remark he’s about to respond with. Only a few beats has passed but the mood has definitely changed. Youngho seems to feel it too; maybe that’s why his giant hand reaches up to pat his head, stroking his hair all the while.

“Don’t make that face,” Youngho breathes, propping Mark’s hand again as they continue dancing. He squeezes it, offering reassurement that Mark won’t be the only one feeling melancholic about Youngho’s moving away. “I’ll miss you too.”

There’s a gentle breeze, blowing a waft of Youngho’s cologne and it’s only then that Mark realizes Youngho has pulled him closer than he was. Mark breathes in, letting the scene sink into his memory, and he doesn’t know where the courage comes from, but he thinks; _now_ would be the best time.

“Hey, hyung?” he starts. He’s glad Youngho keeps a small space between them so he’s able to see the older’s face when he looks up. The playlist carries on to the next tracks. “I like you.”

Youngho’s eyes widen, his steps halted and Mark decides to end the dance.

“I just thought you should know,” Mark adds, taking several steps back. He rubs the spot under his nose with his finger, his other hand back in his pocket.

“Gosh, Mark,” Youngho says, after switching off the music on his phone, “did you just confess to me?”

The burn at the back of his neck is instant, now that the fact’s been rubbed in his face. It’s only a matter of seconds until his entire face turns bright red.

“ _You just confessed to me_ ,” Youngho says, confirming himself. There’s a small smile forming on his lips, seeming to struggle to show itself against Youngho’s attempt to hold it down.

“Okay, let’s not make it a big deal here.”

“You said you like me.”

Mark lifts his shoulders until they touch his ears, the nerve back in his system. “I’m taking it back if you’re just going to tease me about it!”

Youngho is really smiling now, and he’s smiling that smile which makes his eyes narrow, creases form at the corners of his eyes and his cheeks bunch up. The best kind of smile. “Sorry, sorry,” he says, walking over to nudge Mark’s cheek gently with his knuckle. “Likewise, Mark.”

A few seconds pass while Mark processes Youngho’s words. It’s really not hard to understand, but Mark just can’t comprehend any of them. Once it clicks, though, he gasps and punches Youngho by the shoulder, “Dude, what the hell! You like me?”

Youngho winces in pain, but his smile doesn’t falter. He rubs his shoulder but Mark offers to do it instead, apologizing all the while. “That’s what I just said!”

“Oh my god-”

“Okay, let’s continue walking before you hit me again.”

They resume their journey with Mark throwing questions after questions at the older ( _Since when? How? Why?_ ), embarrassment completely stripped off of him now that he’s got nothing to be agitated about.

When they arrive at the front yard of Mark’s home, their strides slow down and they decide to keep a close distance to maintain the intimacy.

“You beat me to it, you know,” Youngho says, and Mark recognizes the flustered look on the older’s face now. The table seems to have been turned.

“What, you were planning to confess to me, too? Tonight?”

“Once we reach your house, yes.”

That sounds like a very Youngho thing to do, being a cringe-romantic that he is. “Sorry to ruin your plan,” Mark says lightly, not meaning any of his words. Youngho seems to get this, as he raises his eyebrow at him knowingly.

“Well. It’s not _completely_ ruined.”

Mark stops in his tracks, cautious as he gives Youngho a once over and checks if he’s hiding a bouquet somewhere.

Youngho rolls his eyes at that and reaches out, taking Mark’s hand to pull him close again and to just casually hold it.

“Is some folk band going to jump out from my porch and start playing _Can’t Help Falling In Love With You_?”

“No, but I’m going to keep that in mind for our next date.”

Mark laughs- he seems to laugh a lot tonight. So this _is_ a date. And there’s going to be another one.

“Now are you going to let me proceed with my plan?” Youngho asks, squeezing Mark’s hand.

“Sure?” Mark says, bracing himself for any of Youngho’s attempts. When Youngho leans in and tilts his head, his lips a few inches away from him: he understands.

It’s brief. The kiss, that is. Youngho’s hand on his nape, though. _That_ , stays. Along with the soft, warm stroke of his fingers.

“Oh,” Mark says, taken aback at how he himself is surprisingly so relaxed.

“Just _oh_? I’m hurt.”

Mark shrugs. “Try that again and see if you can get a better response.”

Youngho blinks at him suspiciously, but does so anyway. One time, and Mark hums. One more, and Mark giggles. The third try gets Mark sighing in content, but the fourth causes a hitch in his breath as Youngho circles his arm around Mark’s waist and deepens the kiss.

Mark gasps, giving a way for Youngho to have a taste of him. The heat is back on his cheek, making its way down his neck as Youngho pulls back just a little, lips parted and drawing Mark’s mouth to him. The older doesn’t intend to tease, fortunately, as Youngho welcomes him immediately with his mouth closed around his bottom lip, nibbling lightly before kissing Mark again, this time eliciting a shaky breath.

Youngho ends it with a gentle peck on the corner of Mark’s lips, breathes out a laugh when he finds Mark chasing after him, leaving Mark self-conscious and embarrassed and burying his face into Youngho’s collar.

Mark’s phone alarm decides to go off then, indicating they went past his curfew. Leisurely switching it off, he pulls Youngho down for another kiss.

A few minutes won’t hurt, he guesses.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm sorry if you find the ending a bit off, i've been in an author's block kinda situation and this fic is one of the several attempts of me trying to battle it. it's not my best work, but i hope you enjoyed it anyway <3
> 
> [my twitter](https://twitter.com/jaehyoons97) so you can inspire me with some prompts


End file.
